Word List 1

Question 1

bigot

Answer 1

narrow-minded, prejudiced person; He is a political bigot.

Question 2

enfranchise

Answer 2

give voting rights; The effort will enfranchise the homeless.

Question 3

noxious

Answer 3

harmful, poisonous; The fumes are extremely noxious.

Question 4

placid

Answer 4

peaceful; We went fishing in the placid waters.

Question 5

remuneration

Answer 5

payment for work done; He received little remuneration for his services.

Question 6

abrasive

Answer 6

harsh; He spoke in an abrasive manner.

Question 7

bilk

Answer 7

defraud; He bilked the government out of taxes.

Question 8

engender

Answer 8

cause; Hatred engenders violence.

Question 9

knotty

Answer 9

complex; This is a knotty problem.

Question 10

nuance

Answer 10

something subtle; He appreciates every small nuance.

Question 11

abasement

Answer 11

humiliation; He faced public abasement.

Question 12

harangue

Answer 12

noisy, attacking speech; I was attacked with a harangue of criticism.

Question 13

nullify

Answer 13

to counter; The contract was nullified.

Question 14

replete

Answer 14

full; The letter was replete with sentimentality.

Question 15

abrogate

Answer 15

cancel or deny; The law was abrogated.

Question 16

harbingers

Answer 16

indicators or bringers of warnings; Frost is a harbinger of winter.

Question 17

labyrinthine

Answer 17

complicated, highly convoluted; I ran through the labyrinthine alleyways.

Question 18

plaudit

Answer 18

statement giving strong praise; The movie won the plaudits of the critics.

Question 19

absolution

Answer 19

pardon or release; He was granted absolution for his wrongdoings.

Question 20

ensconce

Answer 20

establish firmly in a position; She sat ensconced in a chair.

Question 21

obdurate

Answer 21

stubborn; She softened her obdurate heart.

Question 22

reprieve

Answer 22

a respite; postponement of a service; He was granted a reprieve from the army.

Question 23

tawdry

Answer 23

of little value; gaudy; Don’t wear cheap and tawdry clothes.

Question 24

blighted

Answer 24

damaged, destroyed; The scandal blighted his career.

Question 25

credulous

Answer 25

gullible; He was duped due to his credulousness.

Question 26

lachrymose

Answer 26

tearful, sad; I saw a lachrymose musical.

Question 27

obfuscate

Answer 27

deliberately make something difficult to understand; He obfuscated the deal with extraneous information.

Question 28

repudiate

Answer 28

shun, eschew; He firmly repudiated the claim.

Question 29

tedium

Answer 29

boredom; I saw through the tedium of traffic.

Question 30

abstemious

Answer 30

self-denying; She is on an abstemious diet.

Question 31

blithe

Answer 31

carefree; The child has a blithe spirit.

Question 32

crepuscular

Answer 32

active at dawn and dusk; The crepuscular animals sleep during the day.

Question 33

temper

Answer 33

to moderate; soften; Temper the fire.

Question 34

abstruse

Answer 34

obscure; These theories are very abstruse.

Question 35

blunderbuss

Answer 35

ancient weapon (type of gun); a clumsy person; He is a foolish blunderbuss.

Question 36

envenom

Answer 36

to cause bitterness and bad feeling; He envenomed her heart.

Question 37

hedonism

Answer 37

self-indulgence; Do no live in hedonism.

Question 38

laconic

Answer 38

using few words; She only gave a laconic reply.

Question 39

oblique

Answer 39

indirect; slanting; He makes mysterious and oblique remarks.

Question 40

tenacious

Answer 40

resolute; holding firm to a purpose; I respect his tenaciousness.

Question 41

ephemeral

Answer 41

short-lived; Enjoy the ephemeral joys of childhood.

Question 42

hedonist

Answer 42

a pleasure seeker; Do not give in to your hedonist impulses.

Question 43

lamentation

Answer 43

expression of regret or sorrow; She wailed in lamentation.

Question 44

acquiesce

Answer 44

to give in to; The parents acquiesced to the child’s tantrum.

Question 45

bombast

Answer 45

arrogant, pompous language; He delivers his stories with annoying bombast.

Question 46

curtail

Answer 46

cut short; Curtail the lengthy speech.

Question 47

epicure

Answer 47

someone who appreciates good food and drink; The epicure went on a food tour.

Question 48

lampoon

Answer 48

ridicule; spoof; The cartoon lampooned the governor.

Question 49

tenuous

Answer 49

flimsy; He lost the debate because of a tenuous argument.